Wire electrode for electrolytic purposes.



l M. HUTH.

WIRE ELECTRODE FOR ELECTROLYHC PURPOSES.

APPUCATION FILED JULY 7, 1916.

Iatented Dec. 26, 1916.

QEWJ

-FjgM I N 551mm MAX HUI'H, UFCI-IARLOT'IENBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0SIEMENS 82; HALSKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, 0F BERLIN,JGEBT{IANY, .Z-i.CORPORATION OF GERMANY.

rename.

To all whom it may concern."

,Be it known that 1, Max IIUfiTl-I, a subject of the German Emperor,residing at Charlottenburg, near Berlin, Germany, (postofiiceaddress'Teglerweg 11,) have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Wire Electrodes for Electrolytic Purposes, of which the following isa specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings.Theparticularly novel features of my in- .vention are more specificallyset forthin the annexed claims.

In electrolytic processes in which itis desirable to arrangetheelectrodes at smalldistances from each other on account of either poorconductivity of the electrolyte, or on account of the highly dilutedelectrolyte or on account of the low temperature, or. also in cases inwhich it is desirable to use the highest possible specific current loadI for the smallest possible weight unit-of the electrode on account ofthe high price ofthe electrode material (for instance, platinum or thelike), it is of advantage to use wire electrodes.

Up to the present wire electrodes have been constructedin such mannerthat wire was wound on a frame of insulating matcrialflor that theelectrode wire .was drawn through frames and that electrode frames ofdifferent polarity were arranged in alternating order and held togetheras electrolytic units by means of members, clamping screws or the like.If'now such wire electrodes are disposed at very small distances fromeach other, the danger exists that two wires of the same polarity or twoelectrode wires 'ofoppo'site polarlty come in contact.

with each other on account of undue expansion of one or the other wires,and in such cases uneven distribution of current or a short-circuit mayoccur.

It is the object of the present invention to remove these defects.Accordingly the wire electrodes are arranged so that the into put theindividual wires under mechani-:-

cal tension. It is of advantage to provide each individual wire with anindependent weight which ma be shaped either spherical or cylindrica andwhich may serve at the same time as. a spacing element at theSpecification of "Letters Patent. Patiantgd Dem, 236, 11916,

Application filed July 7 1916. Serial No. 108,081. v

lower ends of the wires. It is not necessary in all cases that each wirehas an independ ent weight, but also several wires may have'a commonweight. In this case it is desirable to form the weight elements so thatthe necessary distance of the individual wires at their lower ends ismaintained un* der any circumstances. This may be obtained for instanceby providing the weights common to several wires, with grooves intowhich the free wire ends fit.

In the accompanying drawings Figures 1 to 8 show diagrammatically anumber of forms in which my invention may he 1'6 duced to practice.

Fig. 1 represents the simplest form according to which the individualelectrode wires aa are connected at their upper ends to the commonconductor 6. To the lower end of each wire, a glass ball 0 is fused. Theglass may of course be substituted by any other suitable insulatingmaterial of substantial weight. The diametel of balls 0 corresponds tothe desired spacing between the electrodes.

Fig. 2 shows a modification in which as weights, hollow bodies (Z ofglass or similar material are used which -are filled with shot or othersuitable material. By using weights of this construction a particularlyattached'to the free wire ends by fusing.

In case soldering of the upper electrode ends to the common currentconductor V should be avoided, the individual wires may be hung over thecommon conductor, or a few wires may belapped around the currentconductor in the manner shown in Figs. I and 6. In the-modificationaccording to Fig. i, again balls 0 are used for weights similar to thoseshown in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 6 cylindrical weights f common to severalwires are used. In order to maintain the desired space between theelectrodes, the cylindrical weights 7 are provided with grooves g forreceiving the lower ends of the electrode wires a. Where such doubleelectrodes as shown in Figs. i and 6 are employed, their common supplyconductor 6 should be arranged so thata pair of electrcde wires of cnepole alternates with a pair of wires of the other pole so that a uniformdistribution of current over the entire wire surface is obtained.

li 5 shows the use ol. cyliiulrical weights 7' provided with grooves gfor electrode wires (1/ soldered to their cou'imon supply conductor 7).

In order to insure uniform distribution of current over the entireavailable wire electrode area, the individual vertical wires may becomuasted by thin cross wires 7) which do not affect the individualmechanic: 1 tension of the wires. This form is shown in Fig. 7. Suchelectrodes held under tension by weights of suitable form are alsoparticularly adapted to serve as double pole elec trodes by providing aweight at each end of the wire a, and by hanging the latter over aninsulating wall. .12 which stands upright in the electrolyte. In thiscase the cathode may also be made of nonprecious metal. Thismtulification is shown in Fig. 8 in longitudi nal vertical section.

.lllectrodes made of such wire elements as describe l hereinbetore maybe used in various ways for electrolysis. The electrodes may be, forinstance, only inmiersed into the electrolyte far enough that the commonconnection to the current supply and a shortpiece oi the indivithuilwires remain outside of the electrolyte, or the entire electrode containing' the individual wires may be sub merged in the electrolyte andthe connection between the conductor and the individual wires in thatcase is protected from chemical reaction by a suitable coat of paint orother similar protective u'ieans. lit the electrode not entirelysubmerged the connection be. tween the wires and the current conductormay be nnule of metals which do not resist the chemical action oi. theelectrolyte and it is then only necessary to protect these connectionsagainst splashes from the electrolyte. ()wing to the always presentmechanical tension. of the individual electrode wires and the uniformspacing oi the wires due to the weights, the electrode wires may be a"ranged very close to each other. By this expedient the specific currentload is di tributed over the entire area of the wires as uniformly aspossible and besides the spc cilic current load can be increased to suchan extent that the disintegration products which are visible to the eye(for instance hydrogen at the cathode wires rises and concentratedsolutions at the anode wires) sink,

respectively, in the form of cylinders surrounding, the individualwires. These disintegration products constitute such a large volumerelatively to the total volume of the electrolyte that, by thecontinuous upward movement of the gases at the cathode, a

thorough mixing of the electrolyte between Freely hang downward, saidwires being divided into single groups, a spacer of suiticient weight tokeep the wires straight being fastened to the ends of the wires of eachgroup and means for conducting current to said groups.

3. In a wire electrode in combination, a plurality of wires suitablysupported to freely hang downward, said wires being di vided into singlegroups, a spacer of sutli" cient weight to keep the wires straigl'itbeing "fastened to the ends or. the wires of each. group, grooves onsaid spacer adapted" to rece' ''e the lower portions of the wires, andmeans for conducting current to said groups.

4. in a wire electrode in combination, a. plurality of wires, means forsupporting each wire in the middle to permit its ends to freely hangdown from the supportat opposite sides, a spacer of sullicientweight tokeep the wires straight being attached to each end of each wire andmeans to supply current to said wires.

MAX HUTH.

